Apparatus for the electrical long-distance control of the valve-gear of a hydraulic gun-pointing mechanism



W. AKEMANN. APPARATUS FUR THE ELECTRICAL LONG DISTANCE CONTROL OF THE VALVE GEAR OF A HYDRAULIC GUN POINTING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED SEPT 3. 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Patented Mar. 8, 1921,

w; AKEMANN. APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTRICAL LONG DISTANCE CONTROL OF THE VALVE GEAR OF A. HYDRAULIC GUN POINTING MECHANISM.

APPLICATIION FILED SEPT 3, I920.

1,3?Ll 369 Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

ATENT oFFicE.

WALTHER AKEMANN, OF ESSEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO FRIED. KRUPP AK'IIEN- GESELLSCHAFT, OF ESSEN-ON-THE-R'UHR, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR THE ELECTRICAL LONG-DISTANCE CONTROL OF THE VALVE-GEAR OF A HYDRAULIC GUN-POINTINGMEOHANISM.

To all whom it my camera:

Be it known that I, WALTHER AKEMANN, residing at Essen, Germany, a citizen oi the German Republic, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Electrical Long-Distance Control of the Valve-Gear of a Hydraulic Gun-Pointing Mechanism, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to such an apparatus for the electricaldistance control of the valve gear of a hydraulic gun pointing mechanism which first enables the gun barrel to 'be adjusted in a manner which is -specially accurate and free from shock and secondly difiers from other apparatus for the electrical long distance control of the valve gear of a hydraulic gun pointing mechanism by the fact that its valve gear takes up a considerably less amount of space. A similar structure is illustrated and described in my copending application, Serial No. 408,070.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows a construction of an apparatus for the electric long distance control of the valve gear of a hydraulic gun pointing mechanism as applied to the elevating gear.

, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view, partially in section, of the construction, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through a detail drawn to a larger scale, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. looking in the direction of the arrow 00.

A denotes the barrel of a naval gun f mounted on trunnions of. In order that the elevation can be imparted to the gun barrel A it is pivotally connected to the piston a of a double acting hydraulic cylinder A ivotally mounted by means of two pins (1 he cylinder A is connected by pipes a and a with the casing of a controlling valve B arranged for'long distance control. To the casing of the controlling valve'B are also connected a pipe 12 for water under pressure and a pipe I) for carrying water away.

In the casing of the controlling valve B are provided two passages b and b*.for the admission of the water under pressure. The movable part of the controlling-valve B is formed by a piston rod C which terminates at its upper end in a rack c and at its oppo- Specification of Letters Patent.

site end carries three controlling pistons 0 Patented Mar. 8, 1921.

Application filed September 3, 1920. Serial No. 408,075.

0 and o and the said controlling pistons are provided with valve sleeves. Into the rack 0 gears a toothed sector d forming part of a gearing contained in a casing E, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and will be more fully described hereinafter. The aforesaid gearing is for the purpose of making the movements of the piston rod C of the controlling valve dependent on the one hand on the receiving motor F and on the other hand on the gun barrel A.

From the pipe 6 for the water under pressure branch off two other pipes 12 and b", which open into the ipes a and a leading to the cylinder A Two pipes a and a for carrying away water are also connected to the pipes a and a. In the pipes b and a on the one hand and b and a on the other hand are placed two quick-acting cut-ofi' devices Ur and H constructed in the form of valves and which can simultaneously open or shut ofi' each of the pipes 6 a and b", a connected to them. 7

The valve rods g and h of the cut-off devices G and H are each providedwith two plston valves 9 g and h h which are held in the closed position by means of springs g and k and can be drawn into the open position against the pressure of these springs by magnet cores g and k rigidly connected to the valve rods 9 and k and electrically excitable windings g and h. The arrangement described therefore enables a series of pipes 6 6 a for water under pressure to be simultaneously opened or shut oil -by the operation of the cut-ofi' device G and also a series of pipes a", a for carrying water away and a series of pipes b, b, a for water under pressure and a series of pipes of, a for carrying water away to be also simultaneously opened 'or closed by the operation of the out ofi device H.

The excitation of the magnet windings and h is efiected'by a circuit closing device 6', 0 ,5 which has a movable circuit closing device 0 and two fixed c cuit closing devices I) and b". The movable circuit closing de-' vice is constructed as a rubbing brush and is so attached to the piston rod C of the controlling valve B that when the piston rod moves in one direction or the other it can come into contact with-either the one or the other of the two circuit closing devices I) and b rigidly fixed with respect to the casing 4 of the controlling valve 13..

.mitter shaft is.

The movable circuit closing device 0 is connected by a flexible conductor '5 to the positive pole of a continuous current main J. The fixed circuit closing devices I) and b are connected by conductors g and h with each of, the ends of the magnet windings g and k, the other ends being connected up in parallel and bya common return. conductor 2' to the negative pole of the continuous current main J.

The above mentioned long distance control apparatus contains a transmitter K mounted at the observing station (see Fig. 1) which is constructed in the .usual way so that the continuous current supplied to it by conductors (not shown) is converted into three dephased currents of variable strength. These three dephased currents of variable strength are conveyed by a three-phase long distance conductor 70 to the receiver F which is constructed as a synchronous motor, the said conductor 12 being excited from the continuous current main J. The transmitter K is adjusted by a milled head 10 and a hand wheel I0 each of which is positively connected to a middle wheel 10 and I0 of a gun planet gear in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The planet wheel 10 of the gear is mounted on a bent down arm of the trans- The adjusting apparatus which is rotated by the milled head k is provided with an indicating device 20 in which indicates the adjusted range of the target and is used when the transmitter K is to have a rotation imparted to it which corresponds to the range of the target. The adjusting apparatus rotated by the hand wheel is positively connected to a telescope 74 which oscillates about a horizontal axis and is used when it is desired to eliminate the influence of an oblique position of the ship (e. g. when rolling or pitching) on the elevation imparted to the gun barrel with respect to a horizontal plane.

The gearing which is intended to connect the piston rod C of the controlling valve to the receiving motor F and the gun barrel A and substantially inclosed by the casing E is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It contains two worm gears 6 e and 6 e mounted in the casing E and. of which the one 6 e is positively connected through a gearing e f with the shaft f of the receiver F (see also Fig. 1) and the other through a gearing c.

e, a, a, a", a (see Fig. 1) with the ele v vating sector a of the gun barrel A.

The two worm gears are connected 'by a sun and planet gear 6 6 with an ap paratus which regulates the stroke of the piston rod C of the controlling valve B and which is-hereinafter termed the stroke apparatus. This stroke apparatus contains a drum 6 which rotates with its shaft e in the casing E and the axis of rotation of which coincides with the common axis of rotation of the worm Wheels e and c and 'is provided on its outside with a rib e in the form of a helix. This rib 6 has on the part which extends over the one half of the length of the drum a greater external diameter than on the part which extends over the other half. The transition from the one diameter to the other is formed by a transition are e fi which extends over only a comparatively short part of the'rib e Against the rib 6 lies a roller 03 which embraces it laterally and which is movable longitudinally on a bolt 05 running parallel with the axis of rotation of the drum 6. The bolt 03 is fixed to one forked lever arm D of a double-armed lever which is pivotally mounted on the casing E about an axis which is likewise parallel with the axis of rotation of the drum and the other lever arm D thereof carries, on the part which protrudes from the casing, the toothed sector d already mentioned which cooperates with the toothed rack c of the piston rod C. The lever arm D is under the action of a tension spring 03 which tends to rock the lever D D in such a'way that the roller 612 bears with pressure against the rib e.

'In order to thoroughly understand the working of the apparatus above described in themselves assume under the action of their springs g and h the closed position shown in Fig. 1. It will be also assumed that the ship is in the central floating position and does not roll.

If now the gun barrel A is to have an elevation imparted to it which is different from the previous one, the milled head 70 is rotated until the desired new range is adjusted on the indicating device k k When this is done the armature of the transmitter K is rotated with the milled-head 7: through the gearing I0 70 7c and the armature of the receiver F which is connected to the receiver K. by the long distance conductor k assumes a corresponding position. The shaft f and with it the drum e of the stroke apparatus is set in rotation through the medium of the gearing f 6 e e e 10 11 direction of'the arrow y (see Fig. 3) then under the action of this rotation, the roller (Z which hitherto just touched the transi- Suppose the drum 6 rotates in the D, D is thereby rocked in the direction of the arrow 2 (see Fig. 3) and the toothed sector d mounted on the end of the lever arm I) commences an upwardly directed movement of the rack a" and consequently of the piston rod 0 of. the controlling valve B.

As soon as this movement of the pistonrod 0 has caused the movable circuit closing device 0 to come into contact with the fixed circuit closing device 6', the circuit J, 2', 0 b", g, g, i, J containing the magnet winding 9 is closed. The cut-01f device G is therefore very rapidly raised out of the closed position into the open position by the now energized magnet 9 g". The distance ofthe circuit closing device I) from the middle position of the circuit closing device 0 is much less than the length of the valve sleeve of the pistpn 0 so that the controlling valve B still remains closed for a certain time after the opening of the cut-off device G for the passage of the water under pressure. This latter therefore passes first from the pipe 6 into the'part of the pipe 6 in front of the cut-0H device G through the lower part of the opened cut-ofi devlce G, the adjoining part of the pipe 6 and the pipe a into the cylinder A The-piston a consequently rises andimparts to the gun barrel A an elevating movement. The water displaced by the piston 11* flows away at the same time through the pipe at and the waste water pipe a opened by the cut-off device G. The ratios are so determined that the movement of the gun barrel takes place at a moderate speed. During the further rocking of the double-armed lever D, D the piston valve 0 of the controlling valve B begins to admit the water under pressure from the pipe 6 through the passage 6 into the pipe a The'piston 0 simultaneously opens the passage 6 leading to the waste water pipe, so that the water displaced by the piston a? now also flows away through the waste water pipe a b.

In proportion asthe passage 1) gradually.

opens, so the pressurein the pipe an rises, and with it the speed at which the piston a rises in the cylinder A together with the front part of the gun barrel A. In consequence of this rise of the front part of the gun barrel A the rear part of the gun bar- 'rel sinks with the toothed sector a. This movement of the toothed sector a results in a rotation of the drum 6 in the direction of the arrow y through the medium of the gearing already mentioned. The drum e is thereby returned to the position which it occupied before the beginning of the rotation, by the driving shaft f and in which the roller d assumes the-position shown, in

and the piston c the passage loading to the waste water pipe b so that, finally water under pressure can only pass to thecyli'nder A through the cut-ofl" device G and then into the waste water pipe (1".

The movement of the gun barrel A has in the meantime gradually slowed down corresponding to the shutting off of the valve passage 6 When the piston rod. C has sufficiently approached its middle position after the conclusion of the shutting off of the passage 6 and of the waste water pipe 6 that the contact between the circuit closing devices 0 and b is again interrupted, the magnet coil 9 is deenergizedl Thecut-ofi' device G is therefore rapidly closed under the action of the spring 9. The ratios for the closing of the 'cut-ofi device G are so determined, that the end of the closing operation coincides with the instant in which the movable circuit closing device 0 again has reached its middle position, shown in the drawing. As at this instant. all the pipes are shut off the gun barrel A remains stationary in that angular position which it had attained at the end of the closing operation of the device G. This angular position corresponds exactly to the angular position of the transmitter K, because all the parts of the valve gear assume the same p0:

sition with respect to each other which they had occupied before the commencement of the controlling operation.

It is obvious without any further description, that the operation described must take place in an exactly similar manner, when not a raising but a depression of the front part of the gun barrel A is required. For

device a is brought into contact with thecircuit closing device I) instead of with the circuit closing device 6', The cut-oflf device H is accordingly brought into the open position, and the cut-ofi' device G remains closed. The waterunder pressure therefore passes by the'route b, b, ainto the cylinder A and the water displaced by the piston a escapes through the pipes a a The piston a and consequently the 'front part of the gun barrel A therefore begin to sink. During the further course of the. sinking of the piston rod C the controlling piston 0* opens the passage b, so that water under pressure can now also pass through the pipe a above the piston a. At the same time the controlling piston opensthe way. to the Waste water pipe 6 The sinking of the gun barrel brings about through the description, that the gun barrel A need not be at rest when the transmitter K and with it the receiver F are adjusted.

Furthermore no special description is needed of the way in which the apparatus described works, if the assumptionthatthe ship neither pitches nor rolls, be abandoned.

In this case it is only necessary by suitably turning the hand wheel to train thetelescope 70 permanently on the target andthus to impart to the transmitter an additlonal rotation corresponding to the angle of pitch or roll.

A principal advantage of the apparatus which forms the subject matter of this invention is that the gun barrel can be moved into the position required by the ad ustment of the transmitter with great accuracy and free from shock.

The above description of the working of the apparatus shows in particular that the speed at which the gun barrel moves when the cut-off G or H is open and the controlling valve B simultaneously closed, is only a moderate one, whereby the transition of the gun barrel at the beginning and the conclusion of the adjusting operation from the position of rest to this speed or from this speed to the position of rest, although it takes place very rapidly, cannot result. in the production of jerky movements producin individual oscillations. Furthermore the fact that the gun barrel moves with only a' moderate speed before the conclusion of the adjusting movement and is transferred from this condition to the condition of rest by a rapidly-closing cut-off device insures that the gun barrel comes to rest finally and with certainty at a moment which corresponds exactly with the shutting off of the said cut-ofi' device. The shutting oil of the quick-acting cut-off device lies however exactly so much behind the moment of the sep- 5.

aration of the movable circuit closing device from the fixed circuit closing device in contact with it, as the movable circuit closing device requires time to pass over the route from the pointof separation to the middle position shown in the drawing. The gun barrel is thus brought to rest with very. great accuracy the moment .it has attained the angular position-corresponding to the adjustment of the transmitter.

The transition from the moderate speed at which the gun barrel moves when the cutoff devices are open but the controlling valve closed to the speed at Which the movement of the gun barrel takes place when the cutoff device and the controlling valve are open simultaneously takes'place with uniform acceleration or retardation. In consequence no shocks can take place in this part of the adjusting movement, which would bring about individual oscillations or unfavorable strains on the driving mechanism.

Finally in the present invention the controlling valve. only exerts an accelerating or retarding action on the movement of the gun barrel,'whereas rapidly closing cut-ofi' devices are the controlling factors for the beginning and above all the end of the movement of the gun barrel, and it is not necessary, to construct the controlling valve as an accurately working element. The laps may therefore be so widel chosen that small variations in the position of the controlling edges or an unavoidable wearing of these edges do not prejudicially afiect the accuracy of the adjustment of the gun barrel. The fact that the lappf the valves may be of large dimensions and that an accurate adjustment of the controlling valve is not necessar permits in its turn of making the app iances which serve to return the controlling valve considerably smaller than if an accurate adjustment of the controlling valve were necessary. The invention is therefore also distinguished by the specially an operating gear, means operatively connectlng said sighting device to said operating gear for causing the same to function, means positively connecting said operating gear to the slowly acting controlling device,

a contact device operatable by the slow acthydraulic medium to the hydraulic device,

said system of-valves including a slow actmg valve, a pair of quick actlng valves, a

sighting device and means dependent upon the position of the sighting device for con- ;trollingtheposition of the slow acting valve and electric means operatable by the slow comprises a hydraulic mechanism, a system of valves for controlling the admission of the hydraulic operating fluid to the hydraulic device, said system comprising a slow acting valve, and a pair of quick acting valves, a sighting means, a controlling gear operatively connected to the gun and to the slow acting valve, electrical means operatively connecting the sighting device to the controlling gear, a contact device operated by the slow acting valve, electro-magnets for operating said quick acting valves and a circuit connecting said electro-magnets and contacts, said slow acting valve being so arranged that the contact device operates a quick acting valve before the slow acting valve'is open, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A control device for guns which comprises a hydraulic elevating mechanism, a

valve system controlling the hydraulic fluid, said system including a slow acting valve and a pair of quick acting valves, said quick acting valves being connected in parallel hydraulically with said slow acting valve, each of said quick acting valves being adapted to simultaneously control an inlet and outlet pipe connected to the hydraulic mechanism, a controlling gear for operating the slow moving valve, a sighting device and electric means operatively connecting said sighting device to the controlling gear and electrical means operatable by the slow mov- 'ing valve for operating the quick moving valves.

The foregoin specification signed at Essen, Germany, t is 16th day of June, 1920.

DR. WALTHER AKEMANN.

In presence of- HANS GO'I'ISHANN, Josnr ALBERTZ. 

